The Minority Report! Diversity In DC and the Nu52

[The Darknight Detective]

I agree. The idea that DC would purposefully do something to make a title tank just so they could cancel it is odd to me. The idea is sell more and grow your market, not reduce it to the point that a portion of it must be shutdown. What happens when you get all perfect books.... would you simply stop making new titles?

Yep.

The problem is comics are expensive. If you have a budget and still want your favorite comics, it might be difficult to squeeze in a new title featuring, forget about ethnicity, anybody new.

[CagedLeo730]

I wasn't reading Katana, so I can't speak for that, but I did try Vibe. Did you try that book? It was a total and complete clusterffdg. The first couple issues started interestingly enough, but from there the book got pulled 20 different directions from dc-wide events, creator changes, etc. there was no good ongoing talent on the book, it suffered. really, neither vibe nor katana had really fleshed out interesting personalities on JLA either - not much that would attract a new reader, IMO, so you can't consider that strong marketing. How did new queer lady superhero batwoman succeed? By having an incredible talent attached, including art that appealed to people beyond the traditional comics-reading crowd.

Posting what your books are in your solicits, your website, etc, is not marketing.

Ms. Marvel? People I know who have never read a comic book in their life knew about the ANMN Ms. Marvel. They were interested, excited. THAT is marketing.

I read Vibe as well. I thought that Cisco, Gunn, Dante and Gypsy had good character development. There was a problem with the consistency of the art. The book was free from crossover unless you somehow count WTF month. Johns and Kriesberg leaving was abrupt but Sterling Gates did a good job carrying the ball.
Batwoman's success had waned considerably even before the writing duo left. Sales dropped considerably when JH stopped doing the art. Seems they don't like the writing as much as the pretty pictures.
I do agree that DC does a poor job marketing with respect to Marvel.

[Imraith Nimphais]

I love Earth2...which happens to be one of the more diverse books on the shelf visually, in terms of characters.

That said, the JL could use another female and a minority one at that, with awesome powers to fill out their ranks...just saying. I'd start buying it for sure if a certain model/superhero with animal-enhanced powers were to become a new member.

[CagedLeo730]

I love Earth2...which happens to be one of the more diverse books on the shelf visually, in terms of characters.

That said, the JL could use another female and a minority one at that, with awesome powers to fill out their ranks...just saying. I'd start buying it for sure if a certain model/superhero with animal-enhanced powers were to become a new member.

Or possibly the next inheritor of a certain power ring named Jessica Cruz.

[Smoov-E]

I agree. The idea that DC would purposefully do something to make a title tank just so they could cancel it is odd to me. The idea is sell more and grow your market, not reduce it to the point that a portion of it must be shutdown. What happens when you get all perfect books.... would you simply stop making new titles?

And yet everything that went down with the Static Shock comic reads like a blue print for "we set this comic up to fail" and DC hasn't said or done anything to erase that notion

[Ebon]

Batwoman's success had waned considerably even before the writing duo left. Sales dropped considerably when JH stopped doing the art. Seems they don't like the writing as much as the pretty pictures.

It has always been a truism of comics that bad writing can be saved by good art, but the best writing in the world will never sustain a badly-drawn book.

[Ebon]

As for the idea that DC's "too afraid to take risks," that's ridiculous. They take far more risks than Marvel, and get none of the credit.

Name some of the risks you consider that they have taken? They don't seem to deviate very far from the mainstream formulas that they practically defined.

[GlennSimpson]

Name some of the risks you consider that they have taken? They don't seem to deviate very far from the mainstream formulas that they practically defined.

Omac
Batwing
The Movement
Green Team
Vibe
Katana
Infinity Man and the Forever People

Not to mention Vertigo is pretty much one big ongoing experiment.

[GlennSimpson]

And yet everything that went down with the Static Shock comic reads like a blue print for "we set this comic up to fail" and DC hasn't said or done anything to erase that notion

There's a difference between failing miserably and doing something intentionally.

[Kasper Cole]

There's a difference between failing miserably and doing something intentionally.

True, but in the case of how Static was handled that line got blurred.

[Ceebiro]

There's a difference between failing miserably and doing something intentionally.

This is true.

I don't think Static was sabotaged. I just think the creative powers had no clue how to approach the character. It's not the only book in the early days of the New 52 that got a creative shake-up because editors refused to stay the course on agreed upon story directions.

[Young Avenger]

Not to mention, DC has been the leader in diversity as far as women go. On both sides of the New 52, they have had no less than a dozen female-led titles for YEARS:

*Batwoman
*Wonder Woman
*Power GIrl (Now WF)
*Batgirl
*Catwoman
*Amethyst
*Zatanna (now leads JLD)
*Supergirl

And numerous more. Meanwhile, Marvel is barely catching up to this, and have NEVER been able to maintain a female character consistently in a lead role.

"Barely catching up" are not the terms I would use, considering that Marvel is currently ahead in female representation.

She-Hulk has definitely been consistently in a lead role before, and Captain Marvel is getting there, having had series for the past couple of years.

Actually, if you look at the list of current Marvel heroines with series or series that have been announced to be coming this year

Captain Marvel
Ms. Marvel
She-Hulk
Storm
Elektra
Black Widow

There are six books (and at least one more female led-ongoing is confirmed). They feature two POC and no LGBT characters.

It's important to note that only two of those characters are directly spun-off from male characters.

Marvel also has the all-female X-Men, countered by the all-female Birds of Prey (although I think they have male member now - Condor?).

DC's list of ongoings or announced ongoings with female leads

Catwoman
Supergirl
Batgirl
Wonder Woman
Batwoman

Interesting to note that three of those are directly spun-off from male characters, and Catwoman could be argued to be a spin-off from Batman as well. They feature no POC and one LGBT character.

You could count World's Finest to match Marvel's six, although it is important to note there also that both leads are directly spun-off from male characters.

[Billy Batson]

You forgot Harley Quinn.

[Sutekh]

DC's list of ongoings or announced ongoings with female leads

Catwoman
Supergirl
Batgirl
Wonder Woman
Batwoman

Interesting to note that three of those are directly spun-off from male characters, and Catwoman could be argued to be a spin-off from Batman as well. They feature no POC and one LGBT character.

You could count World's Finest to match Marvel's six, although it is important to note there also that both leads are directly spun-off from male characters.

Given how many strong female characters DC has that *aren't* male expys, like Vixen, Black Canary, Fire & Ice, Moon Maiden, Mera, Big Barda, Starfire, etc. (plus all the Wildstorm characters, like the Engineer, Taboo, Zealot, Ladytron, Sublime, Fairchild, etc.) it's kind of surprising how much focus is put on Super-ladies and Bat-femmes.

[Joe Kalicki]

You forgot Harley Quinn.

And Coffin Hill and The Wake, for that matter.

It's faulty to suggest that DC needs a response to Marvel's minority surge. Marvel needed the surge because they had nothing. DC consistently puts out a far more diverse product than Marvel, and they have for decades. Marvel is responding to DC now, and people are acting like DC is doing nothing about it, despite the years of evidence that proves otherwise.